Argentinian wine: world-class wine players

Argentina is one of football’s great nations. in terms of wine, its Malbec is also high scoring. Christian Davis kicks off

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MALBEC IS Argentina’s equivalent to its soccer success (World Cup winners in 1978 and 1986 – the match featuring Maradona’s infamous ‘hand of god’ goal).

Phil Crozier, Wines of Argentina brand ambassador for the UK and Europe, tells Drinks International: “Since 2006, Argentina’s global wine sales have more than trebled to more than $900m.

“Today, Argentina’s wine producers are breaking new ground and redefining their winemaking. By combining exceptional terroirs of great diversity with classic and indigenous grape varieties, by mixing tried-and-true traditions with cutting-edge technology and modern techniques, they are able to continually improve Argentina’s wine offering.

“It’s like a new era for us. We are working on developing our own national identity in winemaking by trusting our efforts and believing in our terroir capacity to deliver exceptional wines,” says Crozier.

Chakana chief winemaker and general manager Gabriel Bloise says: “Argentina is still a relatively little-known player in the wine sector, in spite of strong growth in the first decade of this century. I would say its USP is still very much related to Malbec as an ‘original’ variety, which is good and bad as it both constitutes a clear selling point – easy to convey and to remember – but is also very limiting in its scope and difficult to articulate as a broader, more interesting quality origin.”

Tapiz winery owner Patricia Ortiz, says: “The future is brilliant. The world is starting to understand and discover the quality and diversity that Argentina can deliver. Being just 4% in the global market allows us to grow and show we are not just Malbec. The USP for us is consistent wines that deliver a lot in each price point.”

Trivento is owned by Concha y Toro, South America’s largest wine producer and one of the world’s most admired wine brands, according to Drinks International’s annual independent survey. Chief winemaker Germán Di Cesare, says: “The Argentinian wine industry’s commitment to consumers has always been clear and honest: to provide excellent quality Argentinian-style wines with affordable prices. As an industry, we must stick to that promise to keep consumers choosing us.”

Familia Zuccardi winemaker Sebastian Zuccardi says: “Today, a new generation of viticulturists work together. They have the opportunity to travel around the best vine-growing regions, they share their knowledge and they explore the diversity of these lands.”

Finca Decero chief commercial officer Stephanie Morton-Small points out: “Although once focused on big, generous, fruit-driven styles, Argentina now bridges the Old and New World wine styles with more structured, elegant wines from high-altitude, sub-appellation or even single vineyard origin. While navigating consumer demand, Argentina has consistently offered wines which over-deliver at their price point, be that at RSP $20, $70 or $150.”

Gauchezco Vineyard & Winery winemaker Mauricio Vegetti says: “Argentina still has a relatively small participation in the total global wine sector, but is increasing year by year in the on and off-trade with our key varieties, such as Malbec, and also with Cabernet Franc and blends.

“At Gauchezco, our Malbec wines lead our growth, however we have seen great interest in our Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and our recently released flagship wine Gran Corte – a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.”

Sophie Jump, director of Jump Start, a UK-based Argentinian wine specialist, gives a more dispassionate, independent, stance. She says: “From a small base, in terms of overall market shares, Argentina is growing slowly but steadily both in terms of sales and brand recognition. Because it doesn’t have any internationally big brands to reach the mass market and because it cannot play competitively in the entry-level category, I don’t think it will ever reach ‘big five’ status.

“This fact has served to reinforce its USP as it has developed a strong reputation for quality and value for money. In the £12-£25 segment it is one of the most competitive players.

“Another USP is the diversity of production. If you line up 100 Malbecs they will each have their own personality while remaining true to the characteristics of the variety. The same cannot be said, for example, of Chilean Carmenère. This is due to the increasing attention being paid to the specifics of the many different ‘terroirs’ Argentina has to offer,” claims Jump.

After two difficult vintages, Catena’s Dr Laura Catena, fourth generation family vintner, assesses: “We are pleased to see that the typical Año Mendocino is back. We call the 2018 vintage El Mendocino (the Mendoza year). After a small, cool vintage 2017, which we call El Año Bordelés (the Bordeaux year) and a small, very cool and rainy year in 2016, El Año Bourguignon (the Burgundian year), we finally got a vintage that is classically Mendozan: dry, cool, sunny and with moderate yields in every region from the lowest to the highest altitudes. This is extremely positive for growers, producers and winemakers.”

CHALLENGES

Morton-Small says: “Argentina has faced internal political and economic challenges which have driven wineries away from the lowest price category and forced producers, successfully, to focus on premium quality wines which over-deliver and have consumer appeal.”

Crozier says: “The main challenge in the future will be to show the potential of Argentina and its high quality in other varieties – without neglecting Malbec as our emblem – such as Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, while showing more indigenous varieties, Torrontes and Bonarda being unique and important to the diversity and history of Argentina.”

Ortiz says: “The biggest challenge is to increase the share in a world where consumption is falling with growth and innovation in other varieties, not just Malbec, producing unique blends, not the classic Bordeaux. We introduced a blend called Bicentenario, made with the most significant grapes from Argentina: 60% Malbec, 30% Bonarda and 10% Torrontes. It has balance and is fresh with lots of complexity.

Says Bloise: “The challenge for the industry is to articulate a value proposition that includes Malbec, but not only, and highlights different origins that can offer unique characters and styles, reflecting its wide range of soils, altitudes and latitudes capable of creating distinct wines in different price points, such as Gualtallary, Paraje Altamira, Vistalba.”

Vegetti says: “The challenges for all the agents of our industry come from the difficulty of our economy with high inflation and the fluctuation of our currency versus the US dollar.”

Jump concurs: “From a commercial point of view, the biggest challenge lies in keeping costs of production stable in an economically volatile environment.”

OPPORTUNITIES

In terms of opportunities for winemakers, Crozier says: “In many ways, they are finding a new identity. This can only be done through a persistent drive to discover what each region can bring to the collective geography of Argentina. Which variety does best in each sub-region? What do each of the regions bring to those varieties? How can you define these regions? These are the opportunities that face us today.”

“The country has limitless potential for exploration of site, latitude vs altitude, aspect, soil and mesoclimates along the length of the country,” says Morton-Small. “In recent years there has been extensive exploration of sub-appellations in the Uco Valley and Patagonia and the single vineyard wines we make at Finca Decero in Agrelo, Mendoza, are examples of terroir and truly reflective of their site of origin.”

Bodegas Bianchi CEO Rafael Calderon says: “Argentina’s USP is to make available easy-drinking Malbecs with sweet and soft tannins, complexity, colours and aromas which delight day-to-day world consumers. Terroir uniqueness with diverse elevations at almost 2,000km length parallel to the Andes mountains showcase the diversity of styles, not only with Malbec, but also with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Torrontes and Cabernet Franc, among others.

“We have recently invested in a new estate in Vistaflores, Uco Valley, adding alongside Malbec new grapes such as Cabernet Franc, Viognier and Petit Verdot to our San Rafael-based portfolio,” adds Calderon

Bloise says: “Growers and producers will need to re-examine the mostly desert conditions on which viticulture is practised in Argentina and plan for sustainable vineyard practices adapted to these conditions, instead of following chemical recipes and standard mechanical practices.

“Winemakers need to stabilise on stylistic criteria that can convey the sense of place, while brands (mostly larger ones) need to offer ‘transparent’ wines that respect the sense of place. The desperate need to accommodate the reality of a complex economic-production environment to international trends, journalist tastes and market preconceptions has not permitted the creation of a consistent offer focused on terroir,” says Bloise.

Di Cesare says: “We already know the benefits of different terroirs as far as Malbec goes. We are about to launch a three-of-a-kind Malbec range from three micro-terroirs within Uco Valley, Trivento Gaudeo.

“We are also challenging ourselves with the elaboration of premium blends, with Trivento Lejanamente Juntos, an elegant combination of Malbec and Cabernet.”

THE STORY OF MALBEC RETOLD

Catena’s Dr Laura Catena, a fourth-generation vintner, says: “Malbec is a 2,000-year-old grape. It was known in Roman times and then was famous in the Middle Ages at the Court of Eleanor of Aquitaine in the 12th century. It was an important part of the Grand Crus from Bordeaux classified in 1855. It has lasted so long because it is simply delicious. It has rich aromatics, sometimes floral, sometimes dark fruits, depending on the origin, and a rich, complex, smooth mouthfeel. It ages beautifully but is also delicious young.

“In Argentina we have planted selections of Malbec that date back to France in the 19th century, before phylloxera. In Europe these Malbec plant populations have been lost. I think this diversity of Malbec plant selections and the mountain climate (at 4,000-5,000ft elevation) are the secret to Argentine Malbec’s success in the world.

Catena has launched a label for Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino that pays tribute to the variety’s history.

She says: “Four female figures embody different landmarks. Eleanor of Aquitaine represents the birth of Malbec. She is a strong, Old World presence, lingering at the bridge in Cahors, where Malbec came into its own. Next, the immigrant symbolises the movement to the New World and the unknown explorers and adventurers who connected Europe with the Americas. Phylloxera personifies the death of Malbec in the Old World, which enabled its rebirth in the New. Finally, there is Bodega Catena Zapata, represented by Adrianna Catena, who depicts birth, earth, and motherhood, sharing the riches of the New World.

Today, the company claims to lead the high-altitude renaissance in Argentina. “We are returning Malbec to the sky, where it belongs,” says Catena.

IN CONCLUSION

Says Zuccardi: “I believe the future will be based on our ability to work the vineyards, more specifically by differentiating the micro-regions. This will give us the true identity of a place and the possibility to elaborate wines that tell the story of this place, but also that of the producers. I have no doubts that wine is the perfect combination between place and people, or people and place.”

Ortiz concludes: “Our cost for producing high-quality wines is still very competitive. Asia is a new, growing market that certainly will start impacting our exports.”

“The industry has been reinventing itself, mostly through smaller producers focused on innovation and terroir exploration,” says Bloise. “Now we know the potential for very interesting wines of very talented soils is there. We only need to mature our understanding to express this potential in ever-more fascinating wines.”

Morton-Small says what is needed is: “More sub-regional and site exploration, yielding terroir-focused wines, while continuing to deliver exceptional value for money at every price point.”

Calderon says, optimistically: “After two challenging years production-wise, starting with an outstanding 2018 vintage, we are expecting Argentina to gain more savvy consumers, surprising them with the quality, style and price of its wines.”

“The future for Argentinian wines globally is very promising,” adds Catena. “There is a great interest in and recognition of Malbec by the trade and also consumers. It is probably due to its unique taste, structured yet soft, elegant, especially when it comes from high-altitude vineyards. Malbec is one of the grape varieties with the most romantic story, the epic tale of the noble Malbec grape is like no other.” (See box.)

Vegetti says: “The future for Argentina is related to commercialisation of varieties other than Malbec in different terroirs all across the wine regions, from the north to Patagonia in the south. At Gauchezco we have diversified our offerings with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, and are producing single vineyard Malbecs from across our vineyards.”

Jump sums up: “In the 15 years I have been working with Argentinian wines, the industry has changed beyond recognition. The style and quality of the entire proposition has become world class.

“The industry has adapted itself into an internationally exportable product, capable of playing on the world stage and competing with the more established and experienced players. I see this momentum continuing in the same direction in the future.”

So no penalties, no own goals, there is only one way Argentina can go and that is with a positive attitude and forward passing and an achievable goal. So: ‘Don’t cry for Argentina (sorry, had to get that one in), the truth is, wine drinkers will never leave you.

‘All through your wild days, your mad existence, we kept the promise, don’t keep your distance…’